Yahoo! I finally finished editing this chapter! I decided to do this since I thought that this story was really unorganized...so here it is! Thanks for reading this fanfic!

Disclaimer: Seriously, whoever made the disclaimer is really dense. Why would I own Naruto in any form or way?

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Secret Feelings Finally Revealed

Chapter 1

Sasuke's handpicked team called "Hebi" wandered toward an Akatsuki hideout they had heard about in a rumour. They traveled in almost complete silence, but Karin and Suigetsu always ruined it by arguing about petty things. Everything was fine. No shinobi hunting them, no fan-girls chasing them. Everything went smoothly, as if it were a routine.

All was normal until Karin sensed a flickering chakra nearby. It was very weak, as if the person was hiding their chakra, or they didn't have any left. Sasuke decided against leaving the stranger alone for it was probably an enemy shinobi. Hebi followed the trail Karin suggested they should take until they reached a girl tied up to a tree.

Her head was rolled to the side in effort to see who had come to greet her. Although she was hardly in the position to do so, she glared at the group of shinobi before her with as much venom as she could. Her clothes differed from the usual outfit of a chunnin in Konoha, but it was familiar to Sasuke.

The red shirt he had seen her wear many times before was ripped up and in shreds. He couldn't help but notice how frail and weak she looked. To Sasuke, she looked almost unrecognizable, but her bright pink hair gave away her identity. She was still shorter than him, but the years apart made her look older and more feminine. She was no longer flat chested either and her curves were more noticeable.

Sakura? thought Sasuke as he walked unemotionally up to the tree and examined the rope binding her waist, arms and legs to it. Hmm, this rope absorbs chakra, quite useful. Sasuke used his chidori on his katana and cut the rope free. Sakura was barely conscious as she fell forward, only to be caught by strong arms.

She lost consciousness as Sasuke picked her up bridal-style.

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"Would you like me to carry her?" offered Juugo as they started to travel again.

"That's all right, I'll do it," came Sasuke's quiet voice.

"Why are we doing this anyway?" complained Karin. "How is she going to help us anyway? She can't even stand up on her own." Karin's complaints went ignored as Suigetsu posed the question that lingered in his head.

"Do you know her?"

"…She was once my teammate in Konoha."

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They traveled without a word for another 20 minutes before Sakura woke up. She had gained very little chakra, but it would be enough to punch one of her 'saviours' and heal the worst wounds she had. She opened her eyes slightly to see her captor's face.

Sasuke.

She had expected as much, since she too was looking for Itachi. But she couldn't help but feel uncomfortable in the arms of her childhood crush. The very same boy who had broken her heart so many years ago. The same boy who was carrying her now bridal-style.

She had pictured this moment so many times in her childhood that it was painful. In her imagination, they had just gotten married as he held her closely, just like the way he did now.

Sakura shook her head to rid the images in her mind. There was a reason why she was here, now she just had to fulfill it. But it was so strange to see him free of Orochimaru's grasp, yet still entangled in his plans. Yes, Sasuke had killed his master 2 years ago, but he had made no progress since then.

Sakura prayed and gathered as much chakra as she could spare into her fist and swiftly punched Sasuke in the jaw. Said boy dropped the girl in his arms as she jumped a few feet away panting hard. Astonishment slapped him in the face once again as she peeled off her shredded left glove with her teeth and started healing her broken right arm without tearing away her gaze from the quartet. A sickening pop was heard as she put her bone back into its proper socket.

What had happened to the fragile Sakura who cried at every little thing? When did she learn to heal herself this quickly?

"Should we kill her?" Suigetsu's voice broke Sasuke's train of thought.

"No…at least not yet. She might yet be useful to us."

"What about her comrades?"

"What comrades?" Sakura's voice echoed through the forest. "We were separated. And no this is not a trick," she added when Karin's mouth opened to argue. "Whoever senses chakra in your group would be able to feel them before anyone else if they did come."

"Why were you tied up to a tree?" Suigetsu asked.

"Same reason you're keeping me alive."

"Who did it?"

"Oh, I don't know. The same pair of shinobi you're tracking," she answered almost mockingly.

"Don't you play smart with us, wench," threatened Karin before she was hushed by Sasuke.

"What did they want?"

"Wouldn't tell you if I knew, I was under a powerful genjutsu, the only source of nutrition I got was water for a week and my chakra was drained everyday. Need I say more? Besides I wouldn't betray my village for anything." She narrowed her eyes at Sasuke. "Unlike some people here."

Sasuke returned the gesture although that remark had stung him a little. Damn, he was starting to get soft. "You can't harm us in the state you're in, and you can be useful to us, so you should get used to seeing our faces for awhile."

"Why, Sasuke? When she regains her chakra, she'll run away and leak information on us!"

"She already has information on us."

Karin will not like being chained with Sakura. Suigetsu will turn into water if she tugs on the rope… Juugo'll kill her, so I guess it's up to me.

Calmly, Sasuke took some rope from his pouch and placed chakra into it. He then walked up to Sakura and tied the rope around both their wrists like handcuffs. Sakura did not object for she was too weak to do so. Before Sakura had the chance to adjust to her new 'teammates' she was put to sleep by Sasuke with a jutsu similar to the one Gaara used to fight Naruto.

Sasuke caught her before she fell and carried her piggyback style. Hebi then departed for a place to rest before it was completely dark as Sakura dozed innocently on Sasuke's back.

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Sakura awoke to find herself in a cave beside a sleeping Sasuke. In the past she would've been drooling, but he had caused her so much pain that she saw him as an enemy now. Sure she still wanted him to come back, but she would be a friend to him.

Nothing more, nothing less.

The only other person awake was a tall young man at the entrance of the cave. Sakura sensed a killing intent surrounding him as dark skin enveloped his pale one.

"Must kill…kill the new girl, no the boy. The new girl would be nice…must kill…kill." Juugo walked over to Sakura on unsteady legs as his arm deformed and took a new, lethal shape.

Sakura stood up and closed her eyes ignoring the fact that she had dragged Sasuke partly with her. I can do this… Good-bye Naruto, Tenten, Ino, Hinata, Kakashi-sensei, Tsunade-shishou. Arigatou for everything.

She waited for the pain to come, but it never did. She opened her eyes slowly only to see Sasuke standing in front of her muttering something to Juugo.

"Gomenasai, Sasuke. I tried to stop-"

"It's okay. Go back to sleep it's still early." He turned to look at Sakura with his signature smirk on his face. "Didn't know you didn't care for your life. Go back to sleep." He paused, "Next time don't forget that when you move, you pull me with you too."

With that he laid back down on the cold, hard stone as his breathing grew even once again. Sakura followed shortly after observing the others sleep, although this time, she kept her distance from Sasuke.

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TBC!! How did you like that?! Post comments and stuff!

Please read and review! Criticism is welcome if it helps me improve my writing.